Fewer Rules, More Creative Kids: 5 Things to Know About Kids This Week

Our curated list of kid-related news February 6, 2016.

By

Dana Villamagna, Toca Magazine Writer

Categories

1. Want a creative kid?Give them half a rule. The fewer rules kids have at home, the more likely they’ll be creative, according to University of Pennsylvania professor Adam Grant, writing in Sunday’s New York Times. Grant, author of the book “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World,” said parents should let kids find their own passions and keep rules to a minimum. He cited a study that suggested “… parents of ordinary children had an average of six rules, like specific schedules for homework and bedtime. Parents of highly creative children had an average of fewer than one rule.” (How to Raise a Creative Child: Step One: Back Off.)

2. Kids pick the winners. Nickelodeon announced the kids’ nominees for the 29th annual Kids’ Choice Award, which will be held March 12. The categories include new awards for favorite cooking show and music collaboration. Blake Shelton will host. (Nickelodeon Announces Kids Choice Awards Nominees)

3. The challenge for “under-connected” kids. Kids whose households don’t have adequate access to the Internet through a computer may be at a disadvantage in schools, and their families have trouble accessing necessary work and health resources, according to new research from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. While access to the Internet in homes is above 90 percent of the population, “many low-income families are ‘under-connected,’ in many cases getting by with only a single Internet-connected computer or, quite often, with mobile-only Internet access through a smartphone or two,” according to an article this week in USA TODAY. (Many low-, moderate-income families ‘under-connected to the Internet)

4. Celebrate Black History Month. This week marks the beginning of Black History Month. Check out this terrific list of children’s books, online and print resources, videos and activities to help kids learn about the history and contributions of African-Americans.

5. Super fun for football fans. Football fans descend on the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend for Super Bowl 50. Some of the events around the city include STEM displays that show the science and tech behind the game, and other kid-friendly events. If your family is far away from the hoopla, check out Toca Magazine’s tips to make Sunday’s game kid-friendly.